Oct 6 Spoiler Discussion: Can't Hurry Love by Molly O'Keefe

ATTENTION: Do not read this unless you are willing to be spoiled!

In Can’t Hurry Love, Eli and Victoria have a sexual encounter and they forget to use a condom. (Which actually makes sense in the context of what’s happened in the story and results in a compelling emotional journey for Eli.) However, Victoria’s reaction to this turn of events is not revealed until the epilogue. And, it left me wondering if the morning after pill, which exists for situations such as these, is ever discussed in romances. At the point at which this encounter occurs, Eli and Victoria’s relationship is far from solid and the fact that it appears that she doesn’t deal with their dumb mistake isn’t addressed. It left me worrying about them as a couple, in terms of their maturity in dealing with the bumps in the road that happen in any relationship. We see them happy in an epilogue, but that relatively small plot point left me wondering about what went unsaid.

For what it’s worth, the only novel I can remember discussing the morning after pill is C.K. Kelly Martin’s Come See About Me, which handles this topic skillfully. Beyond that, the best books I’ve read in terms of confronting the realities of family planning and sexual health have been young adult novels.

Sarah is a digital geek, tater tot enthusiast, sports fan, book dork, and advocate for drinking sparkling wine while taking a bubble bath. By day, she runs a boutique digital communications company in Portland, Oregon, by night she's a certified Netflix Enthusiast and wrangler of a crazy Australian Shepherd. She also happens to be the proprietress of Clear Eyes, Full Shelves.

Sarah is a digital geek, tater tot enthusiast, sports fan, book dork, and advocate for drinking sparkling wine while taking a bubble bath. By day, she runs a boutique digital communications company in Portland, Oregon, by night she's a certified Netflix Enthusiast and wrangler of a crazy Australian Shepherd. She also happens to be the proprietress of Clear Eyes, Full Shelves.